Photographic camera



PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Jan. 9, 1940.

Filed Sept. 23, 1938 F/yi a2 0 i 757 27 y 25 28 633.9 4o 34/44 55 F/ 43600 y 53 I .Q. L.-. /63

INVEN TOR BY mam W8 Patented Jan. 9, 1940 PHOTOGRAPH: CAME I Henry 0.Draining, Rochester, N. Y.. asaignor to Eastman Kodak I Company,

Rochester, N. Y.,

'a corporation of New Jersey Application September 23', 1938. Serial No.231,377

scmmslci 95-31) constructed in accordance with a preferred. ern- Thepresent invention relates to photography,

and more particularly to roll film cameras having backs which arecompletely removable for film loading purposes.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple type ofcamera having a film back which is completely removable from the camerafor the purpose of loading the camera with film. Another object is toprovide such a camera in from the camera to be removed, which'baekincludes a spring pressed film guide which aids in positioning the filmin the focal .plane of the camera. And another object is to provide a anoperative connection between said latch member and film guide wherebythe latter is retracted is moved to its unlocking position, so that thefilm guide will not tend to abut and. injure the film strip when theback is slid onto the camera.

A still further object is to provide such a con-' 26 nection whichincludes the fewest number of parts, and wherewith the film guide inmoving to and from its guiding position is maintained parallel to thefocal plane of the camera. I Another object is to provide a camera ofthe type described which. is simple in construction, eflicient inoperation and easy to assemble.

Briefly, my invention comprises a camera having a back which is adaptedto be removed from the camera by being slid laterally therefrom. Saidcamera back includes a film guide which is normally spring pressedtoward the focal plane, of the camera to aid in positioning the film insaid planes The back is locked onto the camera by a locking meansincluding a latch member rotatably mounted on the back, and an operativeconnection is provided between said latch memher and said film guide,whereby the-film guide is retracted from the focal plane of 'the'camerawhen the latch member is moved to its unlocking position.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention areset forth with particularity in the appended claims.

itself, however, both as to its organizati'on'and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbest be understood from the following description of a specificembodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a typical camera which the back is adapted tobe slid laterally or! means for locking the back on the camera, whichmeans includes a latch member rotatably mounted on the back. A furtherobject is to provide v the operator.

from its guiding position when the latcnmember The invention bodiment ofthe invention, and with thecamera back removed,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the camera back,

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on line,

3-3 of Fig.2, and showing the latch member in its locking position,

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3, but showing the latch member in itsunlocking position,

Fig. 5 is' a plan view of that portion of. the

ing, the manner of mounting the same inv the back,and' j l f Fig. 6 isan exterior side elevation of thatportion' of the camera back includingthe latch member, and showing how its position is indicated to Likereference characters refer ing parts throughout the drawing.

to correspond- While for the purpose of illustration I ha'v e interiorof the camera back including the dim guide, and show-v shown theinvention in combination with aminiature camera of the type generallyusing perforated -min. film, it will be understood that the;

same is adapted for use with any roll film. camera having a backremovable for loading purposes,- and is not dependent upon the size ofthe camera or the .type of film used.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the camera may consist of a body portion M,which may be made from a suitable moulded composition, including a frontwall'il on which the shutter and lens unit l2 are mounted, and a topwall l3. The ends of the front wall are curved rearwardly, as indi-,cated at I 4, to form part of the end walls of they camera, and the endsof these curved portions are provided with grooves 15. Extendingrearwardly from the rear face of the front wall ,II and directly behindthe lens unit is a hollow rectangular frame IS, the rear end'of saidframe terminating substantially-in the i'ocalv planeof the lens andconstituting an exposure frame across which the film F is fed. The filmF, which in the instance shown as perforated 35-min. film, may be woundfrom a retort 11 or from a film spool journaledin a film spool chamber20, across the exposure frame l6, over a sprocket l8, and onto a takeupspool i9 journaled in the spool chamber 20. The takeup and. supplyspools are drivinglyconnected with the usual winding knobs not shown,extending to theoutside of the top wall I! so that the film can beadvanced, for exposing purposes, and rewound into the retort aftercomplete exposure. The sprocket ill may be a counter sprocket usuallyfoundin cameras incl 50 around to new m ve it in wnigi .thegamerabodywhen the bacl is on t said'body. said tongueandf 1 tion making" alight-tight ioint. The. light-tight 30' 3 vided for by having a red freeedge of Ltoslip v edge ofthe top wall ",and having a metal chan-"trunnion v this support the'sameatboth ends.

- It is common in rollfilmcameras mm flat in the focal plane 1 usuallyconnected to the camera of this type which is opeiztiveiy connected acounter visible in so as to give a visual of exposures by the advancingfilm strip. The film F maybe held in proper engagement with the counterwith the top wall of the camera film, F andof a depth equal toorslightly greater than the thickness of the film. Thus the extreme edgesof the exposure frame It surrounding grooves form rails 23 which extendto or slightly above the top the film F when the frame is correctlypositioned across the. exposure frame l5. p

The camera back, indicated generally as 2 4, is

adapted to he slid onto and of! of the'camera the bottomwall illlaterally,v and constitutes and'provided'with tongues 21 connectionbetween the c m balk ahdflb dy portions at the other points of are pro?"uced portion-2i at the":

25 which 18' adapted" the backwall r under a metal, overhang 28 aroundthe the edge of the bottom wall 25 tongue of the camera. The

on the retort l'l may extendto rotatv to provide a spring pressed filmpad on the'camera back whibh'is adapted to press against and hold theThese film pads are back by means of springs which normally urge themaway from he back and toward the focal plane of the camera. Such filmpads are 'emeras having hinged backs where the pad will be'normallybrought down against the rear face oljtho him when the back is closed,but are not tisfactory with cameras having backs which around of! andonto-the camera body laterally as i'n'th'e camera shown. Referring itwill boa-noticed that the portion of aboveathe exposure frame It isslightlybowed above the same instead of being flat in the groove 1!formed therein. 'I'hisgenerally is the condithe time of threading,

1 Fitted on. the camera.

camera body, were provided with the usual type of film pad which isnormally extended into or below the focal plane of the camera, thattheedge of such pad would undoubtedly engage the edge of the filmstrip whenthe back was slid onto'the camera body thus causing a buckling of thefilm and a resistance to-the placing of the back on the camera. 7

To overcome this difiiculty and still provide a film guide for properlylocating the film in the focal plane of the camera when the camera-backindication of the number made, said-sprocket being rotated -when the loa-swarms for I Referringnow to Figs.

fastenedito a bowed spring fixed at one end to suitable means, forexample rivets 31. The other 42 is fulcrumed between the cess 44 and themetal plate I5 and the back wall of the camera. The was I! ofthe backwall 25' are curved forwardly which are'adapted the endshof the frontslipped l over a engages to lock the, camera back. 3| around- The innerend of the stud when the camera back satisfactory with Y be appreciatedthat if the present isease is on, I provide the following arrangementwhereby the spring pressed film guide is automatically retracted fromits guiding position the back is opened, said iocin'ngmeans and whichreleased by when the same-lsmoved 2--6 the filmjguide-M is 38 the bottomwall 25, by any end 38 of the bowed spring 55 rests upon a metal plate39 fixed in the back wall 25 of the camera back. Extending from.

the bowed spring are. a to which a similar pair of lever 42 are pivotedby a pin 43 extending through said four ears- The back wall 25' of thecamera back adjacent the lever 42 is provided with a recess 44 whichextends under the metal plate 39 fixed to said back wall. One end of thelever bottom of said re- 38, while the other extends beyond pair ofspaced ears end 45 of the lever 41 of the film guide action of the bowedspring 38.

The means for locking the camera back onto the camera body comprisesacatch plate fixed recess 5i in the frame IS on the camera body, saidcatch plate being formed so as to have two. substantially; resilientfingers 52 behind wh'icli'the catch ,rnernberon the camera back K thetwo parts together. The camera back is provided with a latch comprisinga. stud53 extending through and rotatablymounted relative to The stud isheld; against longitudinal movement relative to the wall 'virtueof theshoulder 54 engaging the inside face of said wall, and-the key membervw55 screwed to the end ofvthe studahdgesting in a recess 56 formed inthe outside face of the bottom wall. "is provided with a catch member 51which is adapted, when in the position shown in Fig." 4, toextendbetween the fingers 52 on catch plate 50, and into'the recess 5t, andwhen turned to the position shown in Fig.3;is adapted to extend acrossthe fingers 52 of the catch plate 50 to prevent the back from.

belngslidoi! from the camera body. The catch member 51 is turned fromthe outside of the camera back by means of a 'key member 55 fixed tothestud'ii, and the position of the catch member is indicated by theposition of the key in the recess which'is provided with two markedpositions, one marked, locked, and one marked, open. When the key is inthe posiin Fig. 6 the word locked is uncoveredspeciiying that the latchis'in its open position and should be turned to lock the back on thecamera. V v

80 that the film. guide will be automatically retracted when the cameraback is unlatched, a cam Bills fixed'to the stud 53 to engage the end 45of the lever 42. The face of this cam is so formed that when the latchmember is moved to free to slide on the metal plate 39 during suchdepression, that the film guide will bemaintalned in a plane parallel tothe focal plane ofthe camwl'iich is in vturn spaced ears 3! on the.

member since the to its locking position.

lfl isturned up and.

the edge andis normally raised by the Y as by aiaaoss era throughout itsmovement to and from its guiding position. After the camera has beenloaded, the back may be readily slid back'onto the camera body withoutdanger of the film guide abutting the film strip, since said guide" isheld the 1ever42 is maintained in engagement with: the cam 60 at alltimes due to the action of the bowed spring 36, hence the face of saidcam must be so formed as to allow the bowed spring 36 to return the filmguide 35 to its film guiding position when the latch member is in itslocking position. The locking and unlocking positions of the latchmember on the camera back are positively determined by abutments GI and62 on the cam so which come into abutment with the end on the lever 42in the two extremepositions of the latch member. The tension of thespring 36 or the form of the face of the cam 80 are not stringentlycontrolled so as to insure proper pressure of the film guide in itsguiding position, because in such'position the film guide does notdirectly engage the film strip. The film guide 35 is preferably providedwtih a lug 63 at each corner, which lug is adapted to extend beyond thesides of the film groove 22 and the exposure frame I 6 to engage therails 23 at the edges of said groove. Thus the pressure of the filmguide 35 is exerted on the exposure frame alone, and the film guidemerely comes down upon said exposure frame to form with the groove 22therein a film channel at the focal plane of the camera through whichthe film is directed.

Although I have shown and described a specific embodiment of myinvention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof arepossible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in sofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I declare is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at'the other side of the body-for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera bodyforloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back and movableto and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane of the camera, means forlocking said back on the camera body, and including a latch member onsaid camera back, and an operative connection between said latch memberand said film guide, whereby the film guide is moved to and from itsguiding position when the latch member is moved to and from its lockingposition, rcspectively.

2. In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back complete- 1y removable from said camera bodyfor loading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back andmovable to and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said.exposure' frame to form a' film channel at the focal plane of thecamera, means normally forcing said film guide into its guidingposition, means for locking said,- back on the camera body, andincluding a latch member on said camera back, and an operativeconnection between said latch member and said film guide, whereby thefilm guide is adapted to be retracted from its guiding position whensaid latch member is moved to its unlocking position.

3. In a roll film camera, the combinationiwith a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supportingaa take-up roll forwinding film from saidsupply roll, andan exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film .guide carried by said camera back and movableto and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane of the camera, said filmguide normally spring pressed into its guiding position, means forlocking said back on the camera body, and including a latch memberrotatably mounted on said camera back i for movement between a lockingand an unlocking position, and an operative connection between saidlatch member and said film guide,

whereby the film guide is adapted to be retracted from its guidingposition when said latch member is moved to its unlocking position.

4. In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and anexposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camer'a' back and movableto and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane of the camera, said filmguide normally spring pressed into its guiding position, means forlocking said' back on the camera body, and including a latch memberrotatably'mounted on said camera back for movement between a locking andan unlocking position, and an operative connection between said latchmember and said film guide, whereby the film guide is adapted to beretracted from its guidingposition when said latch member is moved toits unlocking position, said operative connection including means forpositively limiting the movement of said latch member in its locking andunlocking position.

5. In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back and movableto and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane tion between said latchmember and said film guide, whereby the film, guide is adaptedto beretracted from its guiding position when said latch member is movedtorits unlocking position, said operative connection being such. thatthe film guide in moving to and from its film guiding positionismaintained inparallel planes.

6. In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back and movableto and from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane of the camera, said filmguide normally spring pressed into its guiding position, means forlocking said back on the camera body, and including a latch memberrotatably mounted on said camera back for movement between a locking andan unlocking position, and anoperative connection between said latchmember and said film guide, whereby the film guide is adapted to beretracted from its guiding position when said latch member ismoved toits unlocking position, said op erative connection including a cammember fixed to and rotated by said latch member.

7. In a roll film camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back, means forattaching said film guide in said camera back whereby it is movable toand from a guiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposureframe to form a film channel at the focal plane of the camera, and isnormally moved to said guiding position, said means including a bowedspring attached to said camera back and to said film guide, means forlooking said back on the camera body, and including a latch memberrotatably mounted on said camera back for movement between a locking andan unlocking position, and an operative. connection between said latchmember and said film guide, whereby'the film guide'is adapted to beretracted from its guiding position when said latch member -is moved toits unlocking position, said connection comprising a lever connected tosaid film guide and pivoted at one end to said camera back, and a'camfixed to said latch member to be rotated therewith and arranged toengage and depress said lever when the latch member is moved to itsunlocking position.

8. In a rollfilm camera, the combination with a camera body, means atone side of the body for supporting a supply roll of unexposed film,means at the other side of the body for supporting a take-up roll forwinding film from said supply roll, and an exposure frame between saidrolls across which the film is advanced in the focal plane of thecamera, of a camera back completely removable from said camera body forloading purposes, a film guide carried by said camera back, means forattaching said film guide in said camera back, whereby it and from aguiding position wherein it cooperates with said exposure frame to forma film channel at the focal plane of the camera and is normally moved tosaid guiding position, said means including a bowed spring attached tosaid camera back and to said film guide, means for looking said back onthe camera body, and including a latch member rotatably mounted on saidcamera back for movement between a locking and an unlocking position,nection between said latch member and said film guide, whereby the filmguide is adapted to be retracted from its guiding position whensaidlatch member is moved to its unlocking position, and adapted to belimited in its movement to its guiding position when said latch memberis moved to its locking position, said operative connection comprising acam fixed to said latch member to be rotated therewith, and a leverpivotedat one end to the camera back and including a portion adapted tobe engaged by said cam, said lever connected to said film guide to benormally held in engagement with said cam by the action of said bowedspring.

HENRY O. DRO'I'NING.

and an operative con- 7

